Hola Familia y Amigos
This week has been a rollercoaster of a week to say the least. Ready to get up close and personal and all spiritual with Hermana Harbison?, well here you go:
So when I teach our investigators (our teachers acting like investigators from their missions) I used to teach with E. Jacobsen, because I am still a solo Sister. So this Monday we were teaching our hard investigator Mario, he's hard in the sense that he has a hard heart and tends to argue with us on whatever we say. So we decided we wanted to crack him, get to know his past and why he is so argumentative. Well we did, he told us that he needed money to pay rent, he wants to go to school but he can't afford it and all these other things in his life right now. Then I explained to him that through the gospel miracles and blessing could happened and he flat out told me that miracles could not happen to him. And I started to cry because I just felt so bad for him that he didn't think that God loved him and could help him through the gospel and through faith. Yes I said I cried in the middle of a practice lesson here at the MTC. My companion (a 19 year old guy) looks at me with an expression of whoa you are really crying. Then our investigator went on and explained his past, parents leaving him and his sibilings and then moving from foster home to foster home and praying all the time and not getting the answer he wanted. Well we went on to explain to him about how people suffer but God has a plan for us. We read him some scriptures and challenged him to pray to know if he has a loving Heavenly Father with the actions found in Moroni 10:4. Well we finished and I was just so pumped because he was so much more receptive and willing after that. BUT THEN, the next day my teaching companion left to go down to the Peru MTC (he doesn't need a visa because he's only in Peru a few weeks and then goes to Ecuador). So since I didn't have a comp to teach with, I couldn't teach my investigator anymore, but instead had to teach with the other companionship in our distict. And this is how it's going to be until I leave. This was hard because I got so far with Mario in my lessons and just loved him and wanted to help him so much that it was hard to lose him and start over fresh with a "different" Mario. So then I had to teach this "new version" of Mario and get to know where these other Elders were in the sense of what they have taught him and what they want to teach him. That is a whole other story that I don't have time to type in my 30 minute email time.
Well there's my story of my investigator this week. Pretty long, but a great experience and good practice for out in the field when I might get so far with an investigator and then have to leave to go to another area. And learning how to work in a trio has been a challenge too but we're getting the hang of it!
Another story for you all: So this week Elder Rasband of the 70 came for devotional and had visitors he introduced to us before he started. He said they are going to be the Mission President (family) of the Peru Lima South Mission. He then had all of us who are going there stand up (I only saw 2 others). I was so excited that after devo we went down and talked to the family and they were so excited too! It was great and they seem like a nice family and will be getting there about a month after I will be out in the field, or so.
Thanks for reading this long story and I know that we can be blessed if we have faith and rely on Him when needed. Hope life in the real world has been treating you all great, love hearing from you all!
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
May 18, 2012
May 18, 2012
This week has been pretty uneventful. Just a normal week here at the MTC. However, on Tuesday Elder L. Tom Perry came for devotional and talked about the Priesthood and that was a great and powerful talk. I'm still a solo sister and it's awesome! (Now that I've said that I'm probably going to get a companion...) Well I did kind of have a companion this week, because she was in a trio and all her companions left this week to go out into the field. We just planned and went to meals and around campus together but that's about it. But she's leaving this Wednesday so we won't be companions for that much longer and then there will only be 3 beds filled instead of all 6 in our residence hall.
My teaching companion, Elder Jacobsen, and I have been teaching an investigator named Mario (who's really just our teacher acting like this investigator she taught on her mission). Mario is very hard hearted and flat out told us that he doesn't believe in God and that he doesn't want to be Mormon. So it's been fun trying to teach him without just wanting to argue with him about every contridiction he has about the Church. It's good practice for when we get out into the real world....
Today we got up early and went to the Temple first thing in the morning. It was great and I wasn't tired one bit :):) But we are going to catch up on our sleep this afternoon by taking a LONG nap, can't wait!
Well that's all I've got for all you all out there in the real world! Hope you all have a great week!
This week has been pretty uneventful. Just a normal week here at the MTC. However, on Tuesday Elder L. Tom Perry came for devotional and talked about the Priesthood and that was a great and powerful talk. I'm still a solo sister and it's awesome! (Now that I've said that I'm probably going to get a companion...) Well I did kind of have a companion this week, because she was in a trio and all her companions left this week to go out into the field. We just planned and went to meals and around campus together but that's about it. But she's leaving this Wednesday so we won't be companions for that much longer and then there will only be 3 beds filled instead of all 6 in our residence hall.
My teaching companion, Elder Jacobsen, and I have been teaching an investigator named Mario (who's really just our teacher acting like this investigator she taught on her mission). Mario is very hard hearted and flat out told us that he doesn't believe in God and that he doesn't want to be Mormon. So it's been fun trying to teach him without just wanting to argue with him about every contridiction he has about the Church. It's good practice for when we get out into the real world....
Today we got up early and went to the Temple first thing in the morning. It was great and I wasn't tired one bit :):) But we are going to catch up on our sleep this afternoon by taking a LONG nap, can't wait!
Well that's all I've got for all you all out there in the real world! Hope you all have a great week!
Friday, May 11, 2012
May 11, 2012
Here's my week:
Well on Monday it turned out that Elder Remington was good enough to move up to the advanced class so that left Elder Jacobson in a trio with the two other companions in our District. So it's fun, whenever someone has to go to the bathroom while we're in class, we all have to go and wait outside. Other than that things have been going good with my side of things and the Elders. Class is going good too I'm learning a lot of Spanish and remembering things from the classes I took forever ago. I've learned that I always have to be sincere in my prayers and the Lord will help me in learning how to preach the gospel in this foreign language.
Sad News First: In the mailbox yesterday there was a letter saying "Sorry to inform you but your visa has not come in yet. You will continue to stay at the Provo MTC until your visa is approved." So who knows when I'll be going out to Peru. But that's ok, because things will work out and I'll be learning things here and getting more comfortable here as well.
Funny Story: E. Jacobson and I we're teaching E. Bakeer in our class about the Atonement. This is what E. Jacobson said: Chirst suffered for all the sins in la tienda (the store) instead of saying la tierra (the earth). I look over at our teacher and he's laughing under his breath, needless to say I started laughing as well. And of course, since it was a situation that I shouldn't being laughing that hard in I ended up laughing even more. But we made it through the lesson, the Spirit was there and it was all good and a funny story came out of it.
Today my roommates and I went to the temple and that was a great experience. There were some foreign Hermanas going through the temple for the first time so two of my roommmates were their escorts and that was a great experience to see and get to know these other amazing Hermanas.
That's all the exciting things I have here on my end. Hope things are going well for everyone out there in the real world.
Well on Monday it turned out that Elder Remington was good enough to move up to the advanced class so that left Elder Jacobson in a trio with the two other companions in our District. So it's fun, whenever someone has to go to the bathroom while we're in class, we all have to go and wait outside. Other than that things have been going good with my side of things and the Elders. Class is going good too I'm learning a lot of Spanish and remembering things from the classes I took forever ago. I've learned that I always have to be sincere in my prayers and the Lord will help me in learning how to preach the gospel in this foreign language.
Sad News First: In the mailbox yesterday there was a letter saying "Sorry to inform you but your visa has not come in yet. You will continue to stay at the Provo MTC until your visa is approved." So who knows when I'll be going out to Peru. But that's ok, because things will work out and I'll be learning things here and getting more comfortable here as well.
Funny Story: E. Jacobson and I we're teaching E. Bakeer in our class about the Atonement. This is what E. Jacobson said: Chirst suffered for all the sins in la tienda (the store) instead of saying la tierra (the earth). I look over at our teacher and he's laughing under his breath, needless to say I started laughing as well. And of course, since it was a situation that I shouldn't being laughing that hard in I ended up laughing even more. But we made it through the lesson, the Spirit was there and it was all good and a funny story came out of it.
Today my roommates and I went to the temple and that was a great experience. There were some foreign Hermanas going through the temple for the first time so two of my roommmates were their escorts and that was a great experience to see and get to know these other amazing Hermanas.
That's all the exciting things I have here on my end. Hope things are going well for everyone out there in the real world.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
May 5, 2012
Amigos y Familia,
The first few days have been good. It turns out I'm a solo Sister which means I don't have a companion. The reason for this is because there wasn't enough sisters who were at the intermediate level to be my companion so I'm alone. It's WAY nice. The only problem is I ALWAYS have to find an Elder companionship or a Sister companionship to tag along with when I'm not in my room (which is all the time). With that being said I'm the only Sister in my class (which is also our district). However, I live with 5 other sisters in our residence hall. One companionship is a trio and the other is just 2. They're all super nice but they aren't my real companions; because they are above me in spanish because they've been here longer. There are 4 other Elders in my district, they are all tiny little missionaries who seem scared straight when it comes to the MTC and Spanish, but they're slowly losening up and getting to have fun. For the most part I hang out with Elder Remington and Elder Jacobson. E. Remington is really good at Spanish and E. Jacobson is still learning a lot and I'm right in between them both.
Most of the time we are in the classroom either having class, doing personal study or doing language study. It's a lot of time there but I'm learning a lot about my self, Spanish, and these Elders and their companionships. We have gym time for about an hour. Yesterday I went with my Elders up to the fields and we ran and played bocce ball which was tons of fun and a cute little bonding experience. Also, yesterday we had our first investigator (he's not really an investigator, but an actor) but we still treated him like he was a real investigator. E. Remington, Jacobson, and I taught him together ALL IN SPANISH. E. Remington did most of the talking but I talked about the First Vision which was the part I prepared for. For the most part it went well and it was a great experience and we get to do it again today with a follow up lesson.
The first few days have been good. It turns out I'm a solo Sister which means I don't have a companion. The reason for this is because there wasn't enough sisters who were at the intermediate level to be my companion so I'm alone. It's WAY nice. The only problem is I ALWAYS have to find an Elder companionship or a Sister companionship to tag along with when I'm not in my room (which is all the time). With that being said I'm the only Sister in my class (which is also our district). However, I live with 5 other sisters in our residence hall. One companionship is a trio and the other is just 2. They're all super nice but they aren't my real companions; because they are above me in spanish because they've been here longer. There are 4 other Elders in my district, they are all tiny little missionaries who seem scared straight when it comes to the MTC and Spanish, but they're slowly losening up and getting to have fun. For the most part I hang out with Elder Remington and Elder Jacobson. E. Remington is really good at Spanish and E. Jacobson is still learning a lot and I'm right in between them both.
Most of the time we are in the classroom either having class, doing personal study or doing language study. It's a lot of time there but I'm learning a lot about my self, Spanish, and these Elders and their companionships. We have gym time for about an hour. Yesterday I went with my Elders up to the fields and we ran and played bocce ball which was tons of fun and a cute little bonding experience. Also, yesterday we had our first investigator (he's not really an investigator, but an actor) but we still treated him like he was a real investigator. E. Remington, Jacobson, and I taught him together ALL IN SPANISH. E. Remington did most of the talking but I talked about the First Vision which was the part I prepared for. For the most part it went well and it was a great experience and we get to do it again today with a follow up lesson.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
